Derek Fordjour

All of these conversations are embedded in the codes of my work because I feel like it's additional pressure. I mean, to take us full circle back to your question about what it means to be black and to enter this space. Yeah. One, it's impossible without our forebears.

All of these conversations are embedded in the codes of my work because I feel like it's additional pressure. I mean, to take us full circle back to your question about what it means to be black and to enter this space. Yeah. One, it's impossible without our forebears.

And I've even had dealers at different times where we would talk about the absence of Black artists, you know, 80s, you know, 70s, from the commercial art space. And they said, hey, man, the Blacks weren't making the good work. The Blacks are making the good work now, man. They got better. You guys are making the good work. It's why it's working. It just wasn't that good then.

And I've even had dealers at different times where we would talk about the absence of Black artists, you know, 80s, you know, 70s, from the commercial art space. And they said, hey, man, the Blacks weren't making the good work. The Blacks are making the good work now, man. They got better. You guys are making the good work. It's why it's working. It just wasn't that good then.

And I thought, wow, there are a lot of people that believe this. That's why I cannot talk about entering this space without shedding light on all of the ones so much further behind me. Because they really made it possible. There's an artist named Norman Lewis who we're going back now to bring his legacy forward. There was an exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.

And I thought, wow, there are a lot of people that believe this. That's why I cannot talk about entering this space without shedding light on all of the ones so much further behind me. Because they really made it possible. There's an artist named Norman Lewis who we're going back now to bring his legacy forward. There was an exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.

The curators in the middle of the exhibition had a letter that Norman Lewis wrote to Leo Castelli. Leo Castelli is a legendary dealer in New York and all of the art world.

The curators in the middle of the exhibition had a letter that Norman Lewis wrote to Leo Castelli. Leo Castelli is a legendary dealer in New York and all of the art world.

Norman Lewis's studio was right around the corner from Leo Castelli's gallery, like two blocks away. And Norman Lewis had been writing letters to Leo Castelli to ask him to visit the studio. And it never happened.

Norman Lewis's studio was right around the corner from Leo Castelli's gallery, like two blocks away. And Norman Lewis had been writing letters to Leo Castelli to ask him to visit the studio. And it never happened.

And so the inclusion of that letter gave what you're talking about, the kind of perspective of what it meant that Norman Lewis was able to make all of this work under those circumstances. I'm with you. Right? You're with me, right? And so... I don't know, I feel like I'm in this space where it's cool and we can make money and you know, it's like looking at the NBA.

And so the inclusion of that letter gave what you're talking about, the kind of perspective of what it meant that Norman Lewis was able to make all of this work under those circumstances. I'm with you. Right? You're with me, right? And so... I don't know, I feel like I'm in this space where it's cool and we can make money and you know, it's like looking at the NBA.

I also have a friend whose dad played in the NBA and he worked and sold used cars in the off season. Like it was- He was pre-money. He was pre-money. Yeah. Same game, worked as hard, might have worked harder. Yeah. Right? But doing the same thing.

I also have a friend whose dad played in the NBA and he worked and sold used cars in the off season. Like it was- He was pre-money. He was pre-money. Yeah. Same game, worked as hard, might have worked harder. Yeah. Right? But doing the same thing.

Right. All right. Because of the story they've been told. Yes. Because they believe it. Yes.

Right. All right. Because of the story they've been told. Yes. Because they believe it. Yes.

You know, that's a great question. And I think what you're asking about is not art. I think you're asking about value. The way the art world assigns value, right? That's exactly what I mean, yeah. And even more specific, we're talking about the art market, which is different than but related to art itself. It's an important distinction to make because I think out in the world –

You know, that's a great question. And I think what you're asking about is not art. I think you're asking about value. The way the art world assigns value, right? That's exactly what I mean, yeah. And even more specific, we're talking about the art market, which is different than but related to art itself. It's an important distinction to make because I think out in the world –

outside of the art world, much like the purse, we conflate the value or the price. We relate the price to the value, right? Okay. So we see a Louis Vuitton and automatically we know it's expensive. Yes. Right? In the art world, very differently, you will witness the cost of the Louis Vuitton bag go from $3 to $20 to $3 million. Yeah. Nothing about the bag has changed.

outside of the art world, much like the purse, we conflate the value or the price. We relate the price to the value, right? Okay. So we see a Louis Vuitton and automatically we know it's expensive. Yes. Right? In the art world, very differently, you will witness the cost of the Louis Vuitton bag go from $3 to $20 to $3 million. Yeah. Nothing about the bag has changed.